


The Tudors, Season 2, Episode 3, Checkmate

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s02e03 Checkmate, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 02, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and the rest of the series. Complete.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	The Tudors, Season 2, Episode 3, Checkmate

Open to two of Charles Brandon’s servants meeting two of Boleyn’s servants in public. They insult one another’s employers, and the B servants draw their swords.

In public, it bears repeating.

One of the CB servants draws his sword before ordering his friend to run to find Charles Brandon.

CB’s man runs into a church. He asks a priest for sanctuary, and the priest grants it. Coming in, B servants stab him.

Realising what they’re done, the two kneel in front of the altar to begin praying.

Charles Brandon rushes in with several others. As he takes in the death of his servant, the priest is standing with the kneeling servants with a hand on one of their shoulders. Charles Brandon rushes over to kill one of them, but the priest begs him not to bring any more death into this house of God.

Relenting, he starts to leave, and Thomas Boleyn appears. They bicker, and Charles Brandon now officially hates the Boleyns.

At court, a guard is refusing to let petitioners see Anne. Nearby, Wyatt and Mark talk about Anne’s rise in power. It’s mentioned Wyatt is now a member of the privy council.

Mark is a bit uneasy with Wyatt’s attitude. As with everyone Wyatt hangs out with, he somewhat instinctively recognises and shares Wyatt’s pain, though, they don’t talk about it.

Thomas Tallis found himself falling in love with someone who died before he could really figure things out and come to terms with it. Cromwell’s trying to end fanaticism by taking fanatical measures. Elizabeth is hopelessly devoted to Catherine. Then, there’s Mark. Mark’s a homosexual in a confusing time of political and social change during a period where he can never live as openly as he might like.

In a way, I think even Anne could qualify. Before her father and uncle told her she was to be whored out on an emotional, if not physical, level to Henry in an attempt to advance their station, I imagine she was always used as a way to advance the family, and she went along with it, because, she’s daddy’s little girl.

Determined to see the dark humour in everything happening, Wyatt informs Mark he’s penning a satire.

Coming out, Anne cheerfully informs Wyatt she’s been craving apples, and Henry believes this is a sign of pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Cromwell is telling Henry the French king has yet again broken a promise. Apathetic, Henry points out there's nothing particularly surprising about this. He wants his annulment/divorce right away. Cromwell points out, as Head of Church, Henry can do this. However, Henry wants Cranmer to do it.

Speaking of Cranmer, his new wife, a blonde woman with a cute bonnet, has come to England from Germany in a crate.

I don’t know if this actually happened or not, but apparently, there was a sizable chunk of the Tudor-era population who believed Cranmer really did have his wife transported in such a way.

Over at More’s house, he, Eustace, and Fisher are talking about Cranmer’s appointment. More expresses his concern for Catherine and Mary. Remembering her husband’s promise to Henry, Alice urges him to think of his own children before he decides to do something stupid such as breaking his promise not to publicly speak against Henry.

In the Vatican, the pope signs an order against natives of the New World being enslaved.

I thought this must have been fictional, but some research indicates Pope Paul III issued a papal bull, Sublimus Dei, declaring the Native Americans to be rational beings with souls and strongly condemned their enslavement.

Next is a request from Henry for Cranmer’s appointment. Despite being told there are strong rumours of Cranmer being secretly a Lutheran, the pope decides to give Henry the appointment.

Back at court, Cranmer promises Henry to give a verdict on the annulment/divorce quickly. Once he leaves, Henry appoints Cromwell to Chancellor.

There’s a shot of men on horses riding onto castle grounds.

Inside Henry is impatient. He looks around, and it’s revealed he and several people, including a crowned Anne, are in a chapel. He demands, “Where is he? Where is Suffolk?”

Charles Brandon appears, and Henry smacks him in the stomach/rib area. I don’t think Charles Brandon’s look of pain has anything to do with this, however.

Later, now being played by James Gilbert, Brereton informs Eustace of Anne and Henry's marriage. He laments his failure.

He’s straight-up incompetent. There’s just no getting around the fact.

However, Eustace is nice enough in his dismissal of the incompetent man.

Meanwhile, a praying Catherine is sitting by a fire. Charles Brandon enters. He’s respectful and uncomfortable when he explains Henry has married Anne, stripped Catherine of her Queenship, and cut her household expenses. She tearfully asks about Mary, and all he can say is, “Madam, forgive me.”

She pulls herself together, and as she gives this speech, I can’t help but think she knows of his feelings for Henry, “Do you know something, Monsieur Brandon? If I had to choose between extreme happiness and extreme sorrow, I would always choose sorrow. For when you are happy, you forget. You forget about spiritual things. You forget about God. But in your sorrow, He is always with you.”

This speech is definitely about whom she is and how she plans to get through things. Trusting in God and insisting on trying to be the best person she can be despite what life and others throw at her is what she’s always done. Yet, her delivering it to Charles Brandon is important.

They both love Henry, they’ve both been hurt by him due to Anne, and she’s telling him she understands. I think she’s also urging him to keep fighting, as she intends to, but to do it with a different approach than he’s shown in the past. Her choice of weapon has been her quiet dignity in public and her continued expressions of affection towards Henry. Charles Brandon, on the other hand, tends to get himself banished from court whenever he tries to fight.

“May God bless you and keep you, my lady.” Charles Brandon leaves.

Elizabeth appears, and Catherine informs her, “As long as I live, I will call myself the Queen of England.”

In a church, More tells Fisher that Cromwell is presenting a new bill to Parliament to further Henry’s powers as Head of Church. More continues there are rumours about Henry’s secret marriage and Anne’s pregnancy.

Elsewhere, in a room full of Cardinals, Cranmer declares Henry’s marriage to Catherine invalid and his marriage to Anne lawful in the eyes of God.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth comes to Wyatt’s room. Denying him a kiss, she explains she came without Catherine’s permission. She cries for her, and he reasonably asks what he can do about any of it. She answers he’s a member of the privy council, and he can talk to Cromwell. He correctly points out Cromwell is one of the least sympathetic people he could talk to about Catherine’s treatment. She responds he’d do so anyways if he still had feelings for her.

Instead of calling her out on this nonsensical, twisted piece of emotional manipulation, he simply says, “I’m sorry.”

She leaves.

Sighing, he looks at a miniature of Anne.

At the Vatican, the pope condemns Henry’s actions and gives him until September to take Catherine back under the threat of excommunication. Then, he unnecessarily explains what excommunication is.

Everyone he’s speaking to would already know this. Most of the audience, whether Catholic or not, knows what excommunication is.

The crowd disperses. Brereton is introduced to the pope, and he shows extreme devotion. The pope is grateful for Brereton’s attempts, though, Brereton himself seems to realise his incompetent handling doesn’t deserve any praise.

Brereton wants to stay in Rome, but the pope tells him he’s established the Jesuit order. He wants Brereton to be a part of it.

A form of Society of Jesus was around before 1540. It was accepted via a papal bull Pope Paul III issued during that year, but his approval likely had nothing to do with the marriage of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Beyond this, ignoring the fact Brereton is a completely fictionalised character with a historical man’s name, I have to wonder how Jesuits feel about the show’s portrayal of them being created in order to do the pope’s dirty work. I will say, if a group or organisation I was part of were portrayed as being originally formed to assassinate someone, I wouldn’t take it well at all.

Brereton agrees to join the order as well as return to London. Falling to his knees, he presses his head against the floor.

Back in England, Henry dismisses a meeting Cromwell is in just so he can make sure the coronation for Anne will go well. He stresses he wants the people to accept and love her.

Meanwhile, a pregnant Anne is pouring over material with her ladies when Mary Boleyn appears. Anne’s happy to see her. She tells her a famous astronomer, the physicians, and her own instincts all say the child’s a boy. She shows Mary B plans Holbein has drawn up for the coronation.

Ah, I wish he were in this episode.

Sensing something’s wrong, Mary B tries to provide comfort, and Anne has a bit of a breakdown.

It’s a good scene, but it would have been better if there were some more build up to it.

At Charles Brandon’s house, he’s quietly holding either a rosary or a cross to his lips. CB asks him what’s wrong. He explains playing sick is not an option; he has to be a part of Anne’s coronation.

Like the woman who shares her name, she advises him. She tells him to wait until the time is right to strike.

In the next scene, there’s a sparse crowd at the coronation. Brereton tries to assassinate Anne with a gun.

He’s not a trained sniper, I doubt he even had as much practise as kids shooting BB guns at cans, she’s a moving target, and still, this is the method he chooses?

Because of all of the above, he manages to kill a man walking behind the liter carrying Anne and Henry.

Just to stress: An innocent person has been murdered in cold blood due to Brereton’s inability to come up with a half-decent plan of assassination.

Charles Brandon and several others realise what happened, and showing his soldierly skills, Charles Brandon orders everyone to keep the procession moving. Looking up, he scans nearby roofs and windows.

Boleyn rides up, and when Henry asks what the noise they heard was, he assures them it’s nothing they need to worry about.

At the coronation, Cranmer delivers a long prayer in Latin.

Henry insists on crowning Anne himself.

Afterwards, Anne has hand on her pregnant belly when she comes over to where Cromwell and Henry are talking. Cromwell leaves, and Henry hurriedly ascertains Anne is happy with everything. She hauntingly observes her procession was more like a funeral than a parade.

At the party, Henry sits above the feasting people. He realises Fisher and More are missing, and Cromwell assures Henry that More was invited.

Down below, Wyatt watches Anne.

Boleyn stops a departing Charles Brandon. Accusatory, he demands Charles Brandon do his duty and find out who fired the shot. With calm fury in his voice, Charles Brandon answers he’s working on it.

His servant’s death does play a part, but his anger comes back to Henry. Charles Brandon couldn’t care less if someone is after Anne, but someone fired a shot near Henry. For all he knows, Henry was the intended target.

Bringing up said servant, he curtly bows as he keeps his eyes locked on Boleyn’s face.

Outside, someone with good sense has ordered the guards to check the hands of all the men entering the gates. Nearby, Brereton looks down at his incriminating hands.

However, whenever some men on horses leave the palace, he manages to slip through.

During the night, there are fireworks. Mary B and Anne are joyous.

At More’s, Eustace accurately characterises the coronation. He warns More his absence was noted. More asks about Catherine. Eustace isn’t allowed to see her and can barely exchange letters.

Despite Eustace’s warnings, More is determined to try to see her. Showing nostalgia, he explains how he used to be optimistic for both Henry and the kingdom. He brings up the fact Fisher is under house arrest. He warns Eustace to be careful as well.

In her chambers, Anne has her courtiers of both genders assembled. She gives them instructions on how to present themselves. Going over to a copy of the English Bible, she says it’ll stay out. Any of them are free to read it. She declares the days of popery are over.

This would work better if this version of Anne were shown to be genuinely interested in Reformist beliefs as something other than a way to help Henry marry her.

Meanwhile, Boleyn informs a now-grown Princess Mary of what’s happened in regards to Henry’s marriages. She’s to be known as “Lady Mary”.

What I don’t understand is: Even if Catherine isn’t queen, she’s still a princess, and so, even disregarding Henry’s kinghood, wouldn’t this make Mary still a princess, as well?

Mary refuses to accept Anne, and Boleyn says she’s forbidden from seeing or writing to Catherine.

In the next scene, More comes to visit Catherine. She’s sick. Despite the pain, she refuses to agree to Henry’s demands. More promises her he’s encouraging supporters to speak out against the king.

I don’t think he can even claim to be technically keeping his promise to Henry with this.

There’s a moment where he leans close to her that I thought he was going to kiss her forehead.

Meanwhile, Henry’s in the mood for sex, but pregnant Anne isn’t.

At a feast, Henry sees a blonde woman dancing with George. Appearing, Charles Brandon asks if Henry wants him to talk to her on Henry’s behalf. Looking at his pregnant wife, and then, the woman, he makes it clear he does.

Downstairs, finishing his son, Mark follows George over to a table. George asks him how he’s enjoying court. Showing genuine joy rather than simple flattery, Mark babbles about how grateful he is to be at the castle and to have the Boleyn family’s patronage.

Not sure how to react to such enthusiasm, George responds the Boleyn family like to patronage the arts. He says Holbein once stayed with them and Anne favours musicians and choirs.

George telling the audience what the historical Boleyn family did doesn’t mean the audience is automatically going to apply the characterisation to the show’s portrayal of them.

Visibly making a decision, Mark declares Anne is talented herself at music and beautiful- though not as beautiful as her brother. Giving a moment for this to sink in, he walks away.

As with Thomas and William, this could have been an interesting story, but it’s not even a story arc. Whether these two characters have a mostly off-screen relationship or not, it doesn’t affect anything. If they’d never talked, the story of the season would remain virtually unchanged, and so would their respective characterisations and personal arcs. At least, with the former relationship, it was used as a stepping-stone for Thomas realising he had to live life and take chances.

Later, Henry is delivered a document from the pope. It finds for Catherine. He starts to it tear up, and the scene neatly transitions to a lady tearing a piece of linen as everyone gets ready for Anne to give birth.

Elsewhere, Henry is babbling about celebrations and jousts, his uncertainty on whether to call his son Henry or Edward, and how there will be war if the French ambassador drops his son at the christening. Heh.

Anne gives birth, and there’s a pause from everyone. Anne starts to freak out. Mary B quickly assures her she’s given birth to a healthy baby girl. Anne begins to sob, and the others try to hush her. Mary B gives her a kiss on the forehead.

Meanwhile, Henry is happy until Cromwell comes to whisper to him. Henry’s face falls.

When he goes to see Anne, he sighs to himself before entering the chambers. Anne is happily holding Elizabeth, but upon seeing him, she can only look at him in fear and sorrow. “I’m so sorry.”

Trying to convince himself, Henry firmly declares they’re both young, and by God’s grace, boys will follow. He leaves without holding his daughter.

During the night, the blonde, Eleanor, is brought into his chambers. He asks if she plays chess, and upon hearing an affirmative, he orders her to come play.

The audience has barely any time to think Henry is perhaps lonely and disappointed but trying to be a good husband while still seeking companionship Anne simply can’t fulfil right now before the scene immediately transitions to them in naked in bed as he drags a chess piece across her back.

Well, at any rate, the brief second where it looked like there might be genuine complexity to Henry and his emotional state was nice.

The episode ends with Anne holding Elizabeth.

Fin.


End file.
